Rack covering



Nov. '12,' 1940. A. DI DOMENICO RACK COVERING Filed June 3, 1939 INVENTOR /I/m/a/I///aME//fca n .III I XN IIHI IHII .I mM IMIII. wI IUWI l I Tw. M IMI f n NNN |m." Il I| I `I II -I I II Q m II IIII II I IIIIII I I I| Il |I I I |I|| I I\I III Il II I I III I |\l. bl

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Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This linvention relates to supports for articles in process of fabrication, especially to a rack for holding partially made shoes during the intervals between lasting and other operations and the in- Venticn relates more particularly to means for protecting the material of the racks from abrasion by the protruding tacks used to fasten the leather shoe-uppers temporarily upon the wooden lasts or other forms while awaiting their treatment by any given machine employed in the several operations incidental to completion of a shoe; also during the intervening periods while a rackful of shoes is being transferred from one machine to another, upon such a rack; and the invention relates also to means for protecting the material of the shoe-uppers from abrasionv and markings.

Conventional protective devices for such intended uses have failed to meet the requirements for satisfactory performance at least partially in all respects, and wholly in most of the necessary requirements.

It is a general object of the present invention to tective devices, and to provide a satisfactory protective device for the intended use.

Other objects and features yof the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected for `illustration progresses. In the accompanying drawin-g, like reference characters have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a complete section of a supporting rack-rail for shoes in process of fabrication, the rail section being provided with a complete protective unit in the construction of which the present invention has been embodied;

Fig. 2 is a view in fro-nt elevation of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, in vertical section;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary detail view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a view in end elevation of a protective unit, shown separately from the rack rail section.

In the now-preferred embodiment of the invention selected for illustration and description, the part designated by the reference character II is a rail section of the shape and size usually found in a rack structure of the class used for supporting lasts or shoe forms, as I2, with the shoe-uppers I3 stretched thereon and secured temporarily avoid the various disadvantages of existing pro-v by nails or tacks I4 while the shoes are in process of fabrication.

l Dowels, as I5-20, usually in the form oflong, round pegs, are inserted in sockets 2I provided in Y, the rail section I I, having a tight t therein, and 5 the dowels serve to support the shoe forms with the soles upward and the shanks 22 extending downwardly, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Each shoe form is supported between and by two dowels which are suitably spaced toreceive the shanks 22, and these two cooperating dowels converge toward their outer ends, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, and as a result each dowel of such a pair extends divergently relatively to the adjacent dowel of the pair which supports :the next shoe form. Thus,` in Figs. 4l and 2, the dowels IB and I'I, which support one shoe form of a pair, converge outwardly, and eachl of them Iis disposed divergently with relation to an adjacent dowel of the next pair, viz., the dowel IE diverges from I5, while I'I diverges from I8, and I9 diverges from 20, etc.

Clearly, the proximity of the divergent dowels, as I'I-I 8, makes it desirable to apply a single protective means to each such set of two neighboring dowels, even though they do not support the same shoe form, but heretofore their divergence has made it diiiicult to apply a. conventional sleeve protector made of fabric to two such adjacent dowels in such a manner as to lit snugly, without an undue expense; and these sleeves, when loose, are very liable to be torn by the tacks, and so afford al very unsatisfactory protection. It is usual, therefore, toprovide a separate sleeve for each dowel, with a corresponding increase in cost of making and applying the sleeves.

While it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a protective device, `of the improved type herein disclosed, for each dowel, in accordance with existing practice, nevertheless, in the best constructions now known to applicant, he has provided av novelstructure which is self-sustaining in action, easy to apply, and can be fabricated in sections each adapted to protect a complete rack unit section with dowels forming several pairs adapted to support several pairs of shoe forms, an example of such a unitary structure being that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In pursuance ci this object of the invention, a 50 protector element 24 is provided for each set of two adjacent dowels, these elements being hereinafter designated as tabs, for the sake of brevity, and each tab has a concavo-convex shape in cross-section, as shown besty in Fig. 3, being 55 designed to conform closely to the inwardly tapering shape dened by each such set of adjacent dowels, as I E-IB, so that each two adjacent tabs 24 have margins, as 25, that converge toward their outer free ends, and so thus provide between lthem a space of the desired and customary shape to receive the shank of a shoe form as shown in Figs. l and 2.

In further pursuance of that object of the invention which provides each tab element with a self-sustaining characteristic, it is desirable to make them of material that is somewhat elastic, such as indurated breboard, which can be stamped or pressed up to standard size accurately in large quantities at relatively low cost, and as-l Indurated fibre has a smooth, hard surface',

free from rugosities likely to mar the leather shoe-uppers, is even and tough, and has a very high index of resistance to penetration, or other deformation or abrasion by the tacks used temporarily to hold the shoe-uppers upon the forms, as already noted, such tacks being shown at I4. The nbre aiords complete protection to the underlying dowels, so that in the absence of breakage the dowels may be expected to equal in useful duration every other part of the rack structure, thus eliminating an expense item which has been of substantial amount heretofore, by reason of the frequent replacement of dowels.

The above-expressed preference for the use of indurated fibre sheet material is not intended to exclude, however, the use of other brous material, such as paper, or felted materials, or vulcanized rubber, or synthetic resins, such as Bakelite, or sheet metal, or wood veneers, as any of a wide range of available materials may be employed usefully for the intended purpose.

While the provision of a tab formed to cover proteotively two adjacent dowels is advantageous, for the reasons already made clear, it will be understood that Where it is desirable, for any reason, to provide for coverage of a dowel individually, this may be done, within the scope of my claims, which are to be construed as generic unless limited otherwise specically, and an instance of a tab designed to protect an individual dowel is shown at each end of the series illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, where tabs like those snown at 2d in every respect are illustrated, except that for each end dowel 21 a half-protector tab 26 is provided.

For the sake of sturdiness in construction, and to localize contacts with the shoe-uppers, as well as to enhance the cushioning effect, each tab is preferably provided with one or more ribs, as illustrated at 28, these ribs being formed transversely of the tabs.

In the best constructions now known to applicant, provision is made for the fabrication in a unitary, preferably integral stamped or pressedup structure, of severaltabs, as 24-26, with a protector element, as 29, which takes the form preferably of a semi-cylindrical member extending along the rail section l l, and adapted to shield it from end to end of the series of tab's 2li- 26, which are thereby connected to each other in such a way as to constitute a complete protector unit that may be manipulated as such, both when it is installed and when removed for inspection, repairs and/or replacements, a minimum of time being required for any of these operations.

It will be noted that where the rail section H is provided with a longitudinal upper cushion, as best seen at 3| in Figs. 3 and 4, the shape of the lengthwise element 29 conforms suitably With that of the cushion 3|, so as to cooperate therewith in supporting the overlying toes of the shoe forms with their uppers 32 extending thereover, and preferably the member 29 will be provided with ribs 33 which serve for a like purpose to that already described with reference to the ribs 28 on the tabs 24-2S, having also the function of spacing the toes 32 from each other, and so preventing abrasion of the leather nish.

Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation of the complete unit and illustrates clearly the concavoconvex contour which permits stacking in nested form of any desirable and suitable number of such complete units for storage and/or transportation, including their accumulation in supply stacks near the region of use.

As shown in Figs. l and 2, the rail section Il may have end portions with holes 34 to receive bolts or pins by which the rail section l! is connected-in to the general structure of the rack, which is built up in known or otherwise suitable manner from uprights and other rail sections which are not shown, since they may be in essential respects duplicates of that herein described, each with its equipment of dowels, rail and protective unit, the general mode of fabricating a rack structure being well-known to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with a rail section in a rack of the class described provided with dowels adapted to support articles such as parts of shoes upon forms intended to be removed from said rack and to be replaced thereon from time to time: of a series of protective shield elements each adapted to cover and protect at least'one of said dowels, and a shield element connecting said dowel-shielding elements together and adapted to extend over and protect said rail section, said shield elements serving respectively for the mutual protection of said dowels from abrasion of the dowels by said article, and of said articles by said dowels.

2. A protective shield device for the supporting dowels in a rack of the class described: said shield device comprising a series of shielding elements for protecting the dowels, made of indurated fibre, and comprising also a shielding element connecting said doWel-shieldiig elements together and adapted also to shield a part of said rack contiguous to said dowels, the last-named shielding element being constructed and arranged for engagement with the articles to be supported by said rack;

3. As a new article of manufacture, a protective shield for the supporting dowels and rail section in -a rack of the class described: said shield device comprising in a unitary structure pressed up from a single piece'of indurated bre a series of dowel-shielding elements and an element adapted to extend over said rail section protectively and constructed and arranged to connect said dowel-shielding elements.

4. `As a new article of manufacture, a protective shield device for the supporting dowels in a rack of the class described; said shield device comprising in a unitary structure made of smooth, tough, somewhat elastic sheet material a seri-es of tabs and a connecting protective element, said tabs and said last-named element being respectively formed concavo-convex in crosssection, so that a large number of said articles when stacked in nested relation for storage, transportation or local supply, occupy a relatively small cubical space.

5. A protective shield device having the features claimed in claim 4, in Which each of said tabs and said connecting element are formed with ribs pressed up transversely to their length, substantally in the manner and for the purpose 10 set forth.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a pro- 

